LIZ FORUM DOWN THE DRAIN
College event runs No. 2 to ‘Urinetown’
A Bay State college student gave U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s televised town hall-style forum the hook by standing up for her troupe’s performance of “Urinetown” that had already been booked for the same stage.
Westfield State University President Ramon S. Torrecilha announced the MSNBC broadcast, set for Friday, is now called off after a social media campaign he criticized as costing the college a “missed opportunity.”
Anaila Aleman, a Westfield State senior and theater major, disagreed.
“A lot of hard work goes into producing a show, so being told to move stung a bit,” Aleman, 21, told the Herald yesterday. “We really just wanted to be validated in the work we did.”
She spoke as the school’s Dever Stage was being prepared for the performance of the Tony Award-winning 2001 musical.
“The thought that they wanted to take down our set hurt,” she added. “But it feels great — and a little overwhelming — to have so much support. It’s nice to know people care.”
Social media lit up in support of the show, which runs from Friday through April 21.
In his campuswide memo, Torrecilha said the MSNBC event was met with “passionate opposition from our students — a tone that played out on social media.”
He expressed his frustration at backing down in favor of the student production, saying Warren’s visit was sure to “create an amazing experience for students, faculty, and staff alike.”
But Aleman’s dad, Benigno Aleman of Springfield, praised his daughter’s commitment to her work.
“A lot of kids didn’t want to speak out, but everybody supported her,” he said. “I’m very proud of her.”
Anaila Aleman said young people are standing up more for what they believe in — from the “March for Our Lives” anti-gun movement following the killing of 17 in Parkland, Fla., to her play.
“There is a big shift,” she said of her generation’s spirit of getting involved. “It’s for many different things. Small and central in our case.”
Warren, who is running for re-election for U.S. Senate and is named as a possible presidential candidate in 2020, said through a spokeswoman the show should go on.
“Senator Warren always loves visiting the students at Westfield State! We wish the students the best of luck in their upcoming production,” said Gabrielle Farrell.
Anaila Aleman said she wasn’t against Warren, just for the production.
Warren has spent the past few months focused on polishing her national image with every appearance of having an eye on a potential 2020 run. She donated $5,000 recently to every state Democratic Party and the Democratic National Party.
Warren has recently increased her public appearances in Massachusetts, holding many town halls across the state.